Tammy Abraham’s sensational 94th-minute winner fired Aston Villa one step closer to Champions League qualification in a ding-dong 4-3 victory over Sunderland.
It looked like Unai Emery’s men had thrown away a crucial three points with when Sunderland scored in the 86th and 87th-minute to come back from 3-1 down, but the substitute’s late finish saved the day.
Daily Mail Sport’s CIARAN FOREMAN analysed the action…
Are you watching, Thomas Tuchel?
When England boss Thomas Tuchel opted for the likes of Leeds and Tottenham strikers Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Dominic Solanke over Ollie Watkins for his 35-man squad in March, it was hard to argue against the German’s logic.
Watkins had scored just one goal in his previous nine games for Unai Emery, while Calvert-Lewin, in particular, was in sizzling hot form for Leeds.
It is no surprise, then, that during his barren spell, Villa’s form faltered. They are not blessed with an abundance of striking firepower other than Watkins – their talisman of several years now – and won just two of those nine matches.
So, what a time it is for Watkins to come back into form.
Tammy Abraham’s late winner fired Aston Villa closer to Champions League qualification
Ollie Watkins scored a first-half brace and assisted Morgan Rogers in the ding-dong tie
The 30-year-old scored two against Sunderland inside the first half, both of which were instinctive strikers’ finishes. It takes his tally to six goals in the last five games for Villa – three of which fired them into the Europa League semi-final, too.
For his first, a lot of credit must go to Villa captain John McGinn, who darted behind the Sunderland defence just two minutes into the first-half and, looping onto Matty Cash’s dinked ball, looped a cross to the back-post for Watkins to head home.
For Watkins’ second Morgan Rogers was imperious and, after bullying and teasing Nordi Mukiele on Villa’s left, found Ian Maatsen who fizzed a ball across the face of goal for Watkins to nod it beyond Robin Roefs after 36 minutes.
Watkins repaid the favour to his team-mate in the second 45, finding Rogers with a delicious pass before the 23-year-old completed an excellent team goal just one minute after the restart.
He may have been hooked before being able to score his hat-trick, but Emery’s decision paid off as Abraham netted the winner.
Tuchel, who is looking for an option alongside Harry Kane at this summer’s World Cup, will surely have raised a smile as he watched proceedings unfold. Watkins may well be his answer.
Emery’s appetite for Europe
There is an insatiable appetite that Unai Emery has for European football that perhaps no manager in the continent shares.
His Villa side – who were hailed as title challengers in December – came into Sunday’s tie on the back of just three Premier League wins since the turn of the New Year.
Yet, on the back of their 4-0 pummelling of Bologna to book a semi-final place in the Europa League, they have come alive again – to hunt down Champions League qualification at the earliest opportunity.
Sunderland scored twice in 58 seconds and almost spoiled the day in the West Midlands
Do so, and they will have qualified for Europe’s premier competition twice since the Spaniard arrived in the West Midlands.
Not to mention that they qualified for the Conference League in his first campaign – in which he arrived with the Villans hovering above the relegation zone – as well as the Europa League last season.
If he does qualify for the Champions League and win this season’s Europa League, which they are firm favourites to do, the architects behind the two statues currently outside Villa Park should get to work on another – this time of a man from a border town of the Basque Country.
Box-office Black Cats
Regis Le Bris’s Sunderland side have been one of the stories of the season, and displayed exactly why they have earned that title at Villa Park.
After Rogers’ sucker-punch goal, the visitors looked dead and buried but, after capitalising on Jadon Sancho’s defensive mishap, hoisted themselves back into the game through Trai Hume’s neat finish.
Just 58 seconds later, Wilson Isidor, who replaced Brian Brobbey from the bench, stunned the home crowd as they almost unbelievably made it 3-3.
They could – and possibly should – even have taken all three points when Habib Diarra was bearing down on goal in the seven minutes of injury time.
But the 22-year-old opted to chip the streetwise Emiliano Martinez, who restarted the attack that saw Abraham nick it for the Villans after 94 minutes.
It was not to be for the Black Cats, but they have been a welcome addition to the Premier League this season.
